Protesting against torture in Pinochet’s Chile: Movimiento contra la tortura Sebastián Acevedo

Abstract

Macleod studies public resistance to torture in Chile during Pinochet’s military dictatorship. Appealing to ethical values, the arousal of strong emotions, and dealing with fear and terror through collective action, the Movement Against Torture Sebastián Acevedo (MCTSA) broke the silence enshrouding torture through performative protests in public spaces. The chapter highlights two curious paradoxes about the movement: its highly charged emotional nature at a moment when militant social politics did not permit the expression of emotions. It also prioritized performance and highly visible actions while simultaneously resorting to almost clandestine forms of organizing to ensure the safety of its members. MCTSA actions enhanced various forms of emotional communities: some ephemeral, others strategic and political, some traveling across time.